Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-06-28

SOUTH DAKOTA INSANE,

How they are Cared for-The Opinion
Ofa Newspaper Man-Flowers. Birds, |
Musie and the Freedom Of the
Grounds.
Special Yankton correspondence ST..
Paul Globe, 23i: That portion of Dako-
ia territory lying between Aberdeen on
the north and Yankton ON the south,
by the various branches OF the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul railroad,
this year presents to the eye one of the
richest pictures ever painted with the
coiors from the palette of nature. The
prospect for great CROPS was never bet
ter. All kinds of grain are in splendid
shape and plentiful showers have filled
the prairie with moisture until the farm
ers apprehepd no danger of q failure
from drouth.
geographically and arohit ecturally
Yankton is the prettlest city in the terri
tory. 1t nestles among the bluffs on the
east bank of the Missouri river in the
midst of a rich grove of oottonwoods
and elms. It is the Oldest city in the
territory and for years wore capital hon
ors, of which it was shorn four years
ago by the capital commission. Here
the political battles that have made the
territory famous were fought in a little,
crazy, rickety frame building called the
capitol. A few weeks ago the land on
which this building stood was sold to q
company OF eastern capitalists, who pro.
pose to erect a line brick block upon it
for business purposes, and the old CAPT.
tol, the relic OF the early political his
tory OF the territory, was leveled to the
ground.
just now Yankton is enjoying the pre-.
monltory symptoms of a boom and dur.
Ing the past TWO months there have been
several important real estate deals there
that have stirred up the sluggish blood
OF some OF the old fossils who have con
tented themselves too long with sitting
around ON dry goods boxes and living
on the interest of the money made.in the
early days Railroads are now point.
ing towards Yankton and there are pros
poets that the Missouri will be bridged
at a point near the city. If this is done
Yankton will undoubtedly become q
railroad center, es it lies in the midst of
one of the richest agricultural countries
to be found in America.
Go to Yankton and the first object the
citizen points out to you as one of the
features OF the town is
THE INSANE ASYLUM,
a magnificent structure standing on the
high land three miles from ths business
portion of the town, and overlooking the
Missouri valley for many miles, DR.
Crayens, the superintendent, assisted by
his estimable wife, has taken commend.
able pride in identifying the asylum
grounds and forty acres have been de.
voted to landscape gardening. There
are brood drives winding in and out
among the hills, hanked On eithe,
side with thrifty shade trees. Then
there is o miniature lake and q rustic
bridge. just in front of the broad stairs
that rise to the main entrance to the
asylum is q fountain that sends its spray
high In the air to fall with musical
! patteg into a great round basin. where
tiny ducks fashioned from light mate
rial, move over the surface of the pool al
the will of the breeze. Around the
fountain are wide beds filled with fra
grant flowers now in full bloom. 1t is Q
lovely spot,
spent day at the asylum with DR.
and Mrs. Cravens, and a greater portion
OF the time / Spent IN c%onversing with
the unfortunate beings who are crowded
within the walls of the institution, DIR.
Cravens told me that the capacity OF the
asylum was 1876 and there were now 16s
inmates. Thisis extremely inconven-
lent, but the legislature last winter APP
tpropriated afund for the enlargement
of the asylum and work will be begun on
the addition as 500 as the plans are
approved by the governor. Supt. GRAY
ems and his wife treat the inmates as
though they were all members of a
great family, and the demented
creatures, with all their
whims and caprices, recognize
them as their benefactors. just after
dinner We repaired to the female ward,
and in o pleasant alcove filled with
hanging baskets of flowers cages of sing
ing birds and d great flood OF sunshine
| Mrs. Cravens sat down to q parlor organ
and while she played the women gathered
around her and their voices in harmony
| with the tones of the organ went out in
song. They sang several hymns, and
they were more familiar with the words
and music thar those rational spectators
who wondered as they listened. The
lunatics are ~passionately fond of music,
and there is one inmate of this asylum
suffering from melancholla who will sit
at the organ for hours and play o few
plaintiye chords. In this institution the
inmates did not seem to be
TREATED AS PRISONERS,
for at sunset the men and women, In
charge Of attendants, were allowed to
wander through the grounds among the
trees and listen to the music of the toun-
tain. 1t was q sad yet pleasing sight to
see these poor creatures, SO helpless and
SO irresponsible, seated in groups upon
the, ground or wandering IN knots among
the trees, chattering and laughing as
though they lived in q world of their
own. DR.. Cravens Informed me that be
had been severely criticized for allowing
the inmates so much freedom, but during
his administra alton he has had but two
escapes, while the north Dakota asylum
in the same length of time reoorts
thirteen escaped. His plan is to make
his patients feel perfectly OF home, and
this they seem to do. The outdoor ex-
erclse given the patients is of great
benefit to them and assists them greatly
on their road to recovery. Every even
ing they enter into a game of base ball
with as much gusto as do their attend
ants. The insane asylum of Yankton is
a splendid institution and is apparently
conducted by those who have a sympathy
for the dependents under their care.
There have rumor gone out that The
asylum fund has been misappropriated.
This IS denied by the directors, who
say they have done nothing more
than to take money from one
fund to increase another that was ex.
hausted. Gov. Church has instituted
an investigation, but told me that he
should make no attempt at q change in
the management unless the investiaa.